AGE OF NAPOLEON

1796-1815

Napoleon Bonaparte

• 1769-1821• One of the

World’s Greatest Military Leaders

• Emperor of France

• Conquered Most of Europe

Napoleon Bonaparte

Success in Toulon 1793.1796-1797 The Italian Campaigns. He conquered most of Italy for France.

He captured 540 cannon He took Venice- ending 1,100 years of independence

Napoleon Bonaparte

He wants to destroy England (of course!) but knows the French navy is not equipped to defeat the strongest naval force on earth.

So Napoleon turns to Egypt where he hopes to cut off the trade route between India and England. (India, a British colony, provides wealth to England...remember the British East India Tea Company; the world’s largest corporation...with its own army)

Napoleon Bonaparte

1798- Napoleon in Egypt

He took along 167 scientists, mathematicians, chemists, etc.Their discoveries included the Rosetta Stone

Napoleon Bonaparte

What made Napoleon’s army so terrifying anyway? Speed and Surprise

• Very mobile army - marched 500 miles in 5 weeks to capture Vienna, Austria

It was said, the emperor Napoleon won his battles with legs rather than arms. He could calculate the marching speed and distance so exactly that he knew with certainity when his support troops would arrive

Napoleon Bonaparte

What made Napoleon’s army so terrifying anyway? Napoleon was brilliant at divide and

conquer

• He could “see the field” and knew exactly where the enemy would march - he often set successful traps and he often deceived the enemy as to his intent or the size of his troops

Napoleon Bonaparte

What made Napoleon’s army so terrifying anyway?

French Cannon could shoot an 8 pound projectile (other armies used a 6 pounder) and it was very mobile

Napoleon Bonaparte

What made Napoleon’s army so terrifying anyway?

But the PRIMARY WEAPON of the French forces was Napoleon’s mind

Napoleon was a brilliant tactician. Duke of Wellington said,

“Napoleon’s hat on the battlefield is worth 50,000 men”

Enlightened Napoleon

• Reform the French legal system in accordance with the principles of the French Revolution in Napoleonic Code

• Education Reform• Government Reform• Legal Reforms• Protected Personal Freedoms

Napoleon Bonaparte

1799-1804 The ConsulateThe Directory is overthrown in a coup d’etat

The Consulate (3 men- 1 of which is Napoleon) will rule until 1804

Napoleon Bonaparte

1801-1802 Temporary Peace in Europe France isn’t yet

ready to invade England

• A temporary peace is signed

• Napoleon under the Consulate issues significant reforms

Napoleon Bonaparte Reforms Under Napoleon

Napoleonic Code of Law

1. All people equal in the eyes of the law: no special privileges for clergy, nobles, etc

2. Feudal rights are ended

3. Trail by jury guaranteed

4. Religious freedom guaranteed

5. Wives could own her own property (with her husband’s permission in writing)

Did Napoleon preserve the ideals of the French Revolution, as he claimed, in his domestic policies?

Napoleon Bonaparte Reforms Under Napoleon

1. Civil code of law- Napoleonic Code of Law was clearly written and accessible

Its purpose was to reform the French legal code to reflect the principles of the Fr. Revolution.

Create one law code for France.

Napoleon Bonaparte

1804 Napoleon declares himself Emperor

II. Napoleon’s reforms

1. Set up system of public schools- lycee

2. Napoleonic Code• Legal rights• Religious toleration

3. Made peace with Catholic Church through Concordat of 1801

III. Building an Empire

1. Conquers Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, parts of Prussia

2. Abolishes Holy Roman Empire and creates Confederation of the Rhine

3. Conquers Spain and places his brother on throne

4. Forced alliances on Prussia, Austria, and Russia

5. Britain: strong navy. Napoleon imposed Continental System

Napoleon Bonaparte

Battle of Austerlitz 1805

Napoleon held some troops behind the hill- knowing the Austrians would take the bait and come forward into his hinged trap

They did

men dead 1305 15,000

men captured 573 12,000

French Coalition

Napoleon ruled the mainland of

Europe now!

Napoleon Bonaparte

The Battle of Trafalgar 1805

The British Navy destroys Napoleon’s navy

The British hero Horatio Nelson achieves lasting fame

IV. Retreat and Defeat

1. Rise of “Nationalism” works against Napoleon• Resent foreign rule and Continental System

2. Resistance in Spain, brutal repression

3. Russia withdraws from Continental System and Napoleon marches for Moscow on June 22, 1812• 690,000 men largest army ever assembled

4. Russians used “scorched earth policy” as they retreat deep into Russia.

5. Moscow is deserted, residents set fire to their own capital!!!

V. The end of his success

1. Combined armies of Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia defeat Napoleon at Battle of Nations in Lipcse 1813.

2. Exiled to island of Elba…but he escapes in 1815!!!!

3. Battle of Waterloo is final defeat. June 18,1815

4. Died on island of St. Helena in 1821

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon meets his end at Waterloo

Duke of Wellington

vs

Napoleon

VI. Legacy: Congress of Vienna 1815

1. Goal- create lasting peace. Established balance of power and protected monarchies

2. Created Prussian buffer around France and restored Bourbon line (Louis XVIII)

Revolutions Sweep Europe!

1. “National self-determination” sentiments spread across the globe– Greece gains independence from Ottomans in 1820– Britain, France, and U.S. extend voting rights (franchise)

2. Nationalist democratic revolutions in Europe

1848